The tale of a werewolf, aka “Bhediya” in the Indian context, is as old as time; a mysterious mythical creature where a man turns into an animal on a full moon night to terrorize the wildlife and humans living around the dense forest. A “Bhediya” can kill others and infect them with the curse it inflicts on them. This film also deals with the same phenomenon; the only difference is that the beast would target anyone seeking to destroy the forest surrounding them. The nature conservation angle helps people in the film and the audience understands the value natural habitats, forests, and wildlife hold in our lives as human beings.
Spoilers Ahead
Character Of Bhaskar Explained
“Bhediya” is about a man coming to terms with the fact that the curse of the Vishanu will live with him, and he now chooses to protect the forests from unwanted intruders. Bhaskar, who was inflicted with the curse by Vishanu, did not set out to be the beast that he has become now or change his attitude towards the project he is assigned to get approval from the local authorities. Bhaskar is from a big city and believes in earning the big bucks and living his life as lavishly as he can. His sole aim is to make sure the road project is sanctioned by the locals. Bhaskar immediately faces objections from the local elders, even with Mr. Panda around to be the middleman in the negotiation. Unfortunately, on the same night, he is bitten by a giant wolf after a chase. Bhaskar notices changes in his body and in how he feels about himself physically. His senses have altered, his teeth have become sharper, and overnight his wound has healed.
A scared and confused Bhaskar does not tell anyone of the changes, but he starts noticing conversations between people who are miles away from him. He is still unperturbed when he meets the youth of the village and convinces them to give up their land for the road’s construction. On the same night, at a music festival, Bhaskar feels uncomfortable and heads out. And again, on the same night, an official working for the road project is found gravely injured after an animal attack. Bhaskar wakes up to some vague memories of it but finds out about the injury of the concerned person. He sees the unconscious body of the attacked person, just as the wounds are healing quickly. He follows the doctor and his team, who burn the person so that the curse doesn’t spread.
Weeks later, on the night of the full moon, Bhaskar transitions to a wolf, and Bhaskar cannot stop himself from being transitioned. He becomes a full-formed beast, all ready to ravage and hunt those who are in favor of the forest being culled. Bhaskar’s transition and transformation to a werewolf, which soon Janaradan, Jomin, and Anika knew of, made them think Bhaskar would now be more sympathetic to the cause of saving the forest. His beast version ends up killing the officials. Bhaskar ends up naked every time he has a night out as the beast, always rescued by Anika. Anika is an ardent supporter of the locals, who are fighting for their land, nature, and habitat, and she hopes Bhaskar will change his mind too.
Bhaskar winds up wishing to abandon the project and his life here if the curse lifts. But since he comes to know that Anika is the Vishanu, he realizes her desire to save the forest, which he was willing to cut down. She’s a 100-year-old beast who would go on a rampage to save her home and habitat, which has been the same for many of the villagers as well. Bhaskar realizes how wrong he is about everything. He understands her purpose and helps her with her goal of protecting the greenery. When Anika/Vishanu is captured, Bhaskar uses all the power in him and transforms himself into a “Bhediya,” a power he didn’t know existed in him.
Bhaskar, as the werewolf, decides to rescue her and does everything he can. He distracts the policewoman, who is trying to burn Vishanu, the werewolf, alive. He makes sure they don’t set the cage on fire in which she is captured and creates havoc by attacking the policemen one by one. Bhaskar’s only goal right now is to save Vishani/Anika and, as an extension of that, help her save the forest. Bhaskar’s transformation to a werewolf initially did not help him or make him understand the purpose of it, but now that he has saved Vishanu/Anika, he realizes the importance of doing the right thing and saving those in despair. Bhaskar decides to take a gravely injured Vishanu/Anika to the spot on top of the hill that is her favorite spot, where she breathes her last moments. Her death makes him realize his bigger goal in life, which is to protect the forest that Vishanu/Anika was defending for 100 years from the people who are willing to destroy the livelihood of that village.
‘Bhediya’ Post-Credits Scene Explained – How Does The Film Merge With ‘Stree’ Universe?
As Janardan helps keep Bhaskar away at a shed outside their home with enough raw meat to consume, the arrival of his friends Vicky and Bittu throws him off. Janardhan, aka Janna, is happy to see his friends. In this post-credit scene, the arrival of Vicky and Bittu marks the merging of the “Stree” universe and the “Bhediya” universe, their common factor being Janardan/Janna. Janna is the point of contact between Bhaskar, Vicky, and Bittu and hopes that they soon find a common goal and help each other eliminate their enemies. Vicky and Bittu want to locate “Stree” and possibly use Janna’s help to tackle her, and Bhaskar would use the “Bhediya” version to eliminate people that mess with the forests which Vishanu was protecting. The meeting of all these characters would mean a bigger enemy is waiting for them, and the possibility of a “Bhediya” sequel and film that will have characters from both films tackling a common enemy. It is exciting to watch Hindi films embracing the post-credit scene maneuver to elevate the element of intrigue amongst the audience. The merging of the two universes is something rare in Hindi cinema, for it is not very frequently that we see successful sequels or movies that bring together mainstream actors from two different universes with similar underlying themes. If any of these films work out, it will be interesting to watch how the writers and makers make the screenplay interesting and engaging enough. “Bhediya” is one giant step towards a genre that was always considered a deadbeat because not many films succeeded except for “Stree.”
Final Words
The screenplay of this film could have been clearer, for it did not elaborate on the village rumor about the beast Vishanu. There was no build-up made on it for the viewers to be surprised by the final reveal of who Vishanu is. As an audience, the moment came and went, and the reveal did not have any lasting impact when the film ended. The screenplay should have spent more time on the “Bhediya” lore instead of showing us only the transformation. If more films are lined up in this genre, hopefully, we will be able to see a lot more of the beast and the kind of power he holds in himself. The point of making horror comedy layered with fantasy fiction is to talk about the mythical creature and the power it holds over others. “Bhediya” would have been a lot better if the writers had spent more time developing a story around the creature and Vishanu. Creating a story around it would have made the film more likable and interesting. Though this film as it is has created a lot of buzz for not digressing much, the audience is gladly waiting for a sequel to know what is in store for Bhaskar.
See more: ‘Bhediya’ Ending, Explained: Who Is Vishanu? What Happens To Bhaskar And Anika?
